Chloe2005 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hello, can someone help me please? I don't understand electrical power at all. I am considering taking a small slow cooker away with me, and the product details describe it as 170 watts. How can I find out what amps this equates to? Hope this makes sense - I don't want to plug it in on site and find that there isn't enough electric available to run it. Thanks in anticipation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hi Chloe. There is no mystery about whats in a Watt (W) - or a Volt (V) or an Amp (A) and as long as you know the V and either of the W OR A the other is very easy to calculate - Amperage is found by dividing the Wattage by the Voltage Wattage is found by multyplying the Voltage by the Amperage. You know the wattage to be 170 w and you probably know the mains voltage to nominally be 230 v (it used to be 240 v but is now 230 v in theory at least although it can fluctuate!). So divide the 170 w by the 230 v and you get .739 amps - or less than 1 amp. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 As an electrical fitter I can agree with tracker that it is easy. But for those who are not electrical then as most electrical items have there power related in watts then the following can be used . 6Amp supply gives 6x230 = 1380 watts 10amp supply gives 10x230 = 2300 watts. so find out the current supplied by your site and use the above formula or as most European sites are 6 or 10 amp you already have the figures that you need. Some UK sites will give you 15A which equates to 15x230= 3450 Watts. If all else fails, just plug it in and the supply trip will either cope or switch off. if it switches off then unplug your kettle etc , reset the trip and dont use that device again. A point to remember is that all electrical items used are cumulative, that is while a kettle, or boiler or toaster or heater will not trip the supply on its own, it is easy to forget that the boiler, for example is on and OK, then the wife puts the kettle on and the supply trips out. i.e Boiler 1kw ( 4.5 Amp) plus kettle 1kw (4.5amp) and bang goes yor 6 Amp supply with you wanting 4.5+4.5 = 9amp If you are not familiar with Electrical unit then I know that it all seems like magic, but post all of your items on here and I am sure that between us we can give you your ratings in watts or Amps. Just chill and ask the questions Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Any one have an easy way to work out the 12 amperage say using ( as above ) a 170 watt 240 v cooker via and invertor to estimate how long a 12 v 100w battery would last. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Any one have an easy way to work out the 12 amperage say using ( as above ) a 170 watt 240 v cooker via and invertor to estimate how long a 12 v 100w battery would last. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John J Thompson Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Your inverter will have a base draw on the battery this draw will increase with the load applied. The only accurate way to determine the actual draw with the load on is to measure it with a meter set to amps and connected between the battery and the inverter input terminal lead Most meters will allow this, for up to 10 amps maximum draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 w1ntersun - 2011-10-23 8:42 AM Any one have an easy way to work out the 12 amperage say using ( as above ) a 170 watt 240 v cooker via and invertor to estimate how long a 12 v 100w battery would last. Richard 170 Watts - add 20% for losses in invevertor for good measure = 200Watts appox. 200/12 = 16.6 Amps. Call it 17 Amps as near as darn it. 100Ah battery, so about 50% usuable = 50 Ah. 50/17 = 3 hours appox. So there you go as a rough guide .. 3 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Now you just need to work out how often and long the thermostanmt cuts out and back in again as the 170Watts may not be drawn all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilux Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Why do you need an inverter if you are plugging it in on site? Surely, you would just plug it in to a 3 pin socket. Or is it the case that you do not have a 3 pin socket in the van which is powered when you hook up? If you are using an inverter from a 12v supply then as an earlier poster calculated it will be taking about 17amp. Most 12v sockets in the van are rated at 10amps so the inverter load would exceed the rating of the socket and probabaly blow the fuse. You would have to use the inverter connected straight to the battery. Just some thoughts H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Hilux, there are two posters above asking seperate questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasher Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Hi there, we have an invertor, and a slow cooker, and when we are travelling in the van we put chicken, carrots, potatoes etc, in the slow cooker plug in to the invertor, and when we arrive at site dinner, or tea is ready for us.SIMPLES!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Why do I have this vision of someone wearing their dinner, and their slow cooker, following an emergency stop! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 ..because you are telepathic and I have the same vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Me too, you'd be surprised how many motorhomes I see with vases of flowers or bowls of fruit on the table with just a bit of non slip mat to keep it there. The best/worst I saw was an Autotrail with a magnetic strip on the wall in the kitchen with a wonderful selection of kitchen knives on it, everything from a paring knife up to a serrated bread knife! D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 nasher - 2011-10-23 10:46 PM Hi there, we have an invertor, and a slow cooker, and when we are travelling in the van we put chicken, carrots, potatoes etc, in the slow cooker plug in to the invertor, and when we arrive at site dinner, or tea is ready for us.SIMPLES!!!! We do exactly the same thing. We put the cooker on some towels wedged into the corner of the shower room so no worries re H&S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dave Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Meals on Wheels !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-10-23 11:16 PM Why do I have this vision of someone wearing their dinner, and their slow cooker, following an emergency stop! :-D Many vans have these heavy chopping board type sink covers which are unfixed and can become very effective projectiles if you brake hard - especially if you go over a big bump to help them get airborne as you hit the anchors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 nasher, When you call the breakdown service, make sure they bring a plate and cutlery, if its the ambulance you need tell them you've been scalded with hot soup! Cooking food on the move is about the last thing I would ever entertain, do you realise even a small collision can force open cupboard doors and chuck furniture through the windows !! art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 The best Slow Cooker available for use whilst travelling is your Exhaust manifold :D :D :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilux Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 About two years back we were staying with friends at Watchett on a CL. There was a Merc van there which had been converted into a camper. It had a wood burning stove. We got chatting to the two occupants who were from Scotland and aged 70+. We admired their van and were interested in the wood burner which sat about halfway back right next to a timber cabinet. Sitting on top of the stove, which was alight, was a steel kettle which was stuck to the stove with a large magnet from a micro wave cooker. These magnets are very strong. We were told that they kept the stove going most of the time when on the move and travelling during colder months. They also boiled the kettle when on the move as they considered the magnet was safe enough to keep it in place. We were astounded by this behaviour. One could only hope that their visits to fuel stations only occur during the summer. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Dr Dave - 2011-10-28 7:15 PM Meals on Wheels !!!! Braised Coq au vin? Sorry, I'll get my own coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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